Rivers State House of Assembly rejected four of the nine commissioner-nominees submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara for screening and confirmation on Monday. The lawmakers cleared five nominees as commissioners-designate following a rigorous screening exercise that lasted over two hours.
The Screening Process
Speaker Martin Amaewhule presided over the plenary session where the nine nominees faced intense questioning from lawmakers. The screening exercise began after Governor Fubara forwarded the list to the Assembly on March 3, 2026. The nominees had earlier submitted forty sets of their curriculum vitae, photocopies of credentials, and evidence of tax compliance to the Clerk of the House, Emeka Amadi.
The Rejected Nominees
The Assembly dropped Professor Datonye Alasia, Barrister Tamuno Williams, Otonye Amachree, and Charity Deemua. Speaker Amaewhule explained the reasons for their rejection during his summation. He stated, “Distinguished colleagues, we have nine nominees forwarded to this Assembly by the governor. At the end of the screening exercise the House has confirmed five of them.”
He added, “And four of them the House has chosen to take a deep breath given their poor performance and controversies surrounding either their documents and they have not been able to show this august assembly that they are indeed prepared to serve Rivers State or that they are able.”
Furthermore, Amaewhule noted, “And we feel that they are not square pegs in square holes for the offices that they intend to occupy in the Rivers State Executive Council.”
The Confirmed Nominees
The lawmakers cleared Tonye Belgam, Professor Temple Nwafor, Doctor Peters Nwagor, Lekue Kenneth, and Amarigha Edward-Hart as commissioners-designate. These five successfully navigated the screening process and received the Assembly’s endorsement for appointment into the Rivers State Executive Council.
The House Speaker Announcement
Speaker Amaewhule announced that he would forward the Assembly’s resolution to Governor Fubara. He stated, “On that note, distinguished colleagues, I thank you for your contributions. With your leave and in line with our rules, I will forward the resolution of this august assembly to the governor so that he can take necessary steps for the interest of Rivers State.”
He also indicated that he would request the governor to swear in the five confirmed nominees without delay. He said, “On that note, I’m going to forward a letter to the governor and ask him to swear in five of the nominees as soon as possible.”
